DUBAI, UAE – Iraqi armed forces killed six ISIS militants, including a senior leader of the extremist group in a military operation on the group's hideouts on Thursday in Kirkuk province.
“The operation was carried out based on directives from the Prime Minister and involved precise intelligence work by the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS),” read a statement from the Iraqi Security Media Cell.
“The operation, which followed over two months of detailed intelligence gathering, was executed by the Iraqi Air Force using F16 jets," the statement detailed. “The airstrikes targeted a cell of six terrorists, killing them in three separate strikes.”
Among the deceased was Omar Salah Naama, known as “Abu Khattab,” a high-ranking ISIS leader and commander of the so-called “Al-Bu Hamdan Sector” in Kirkuk, according to the security media cell, labelling him as “one of the most dangerous leaders of the terrorist ISIS group."
“Following the airstrikes, the INIS, in coordination with the Counter-Terrorism Service, conducted a raid on the site. They recovered the terrorists' bodies along with explosive belts, weapons, technical equipment, and various phones used by the militants,” the announcement read.
The operation is part of ongoing efforts by Iraqi forces to combat terrorism and ensure the country's security.
Despite ongoing efforts to eliminate ISIS, the group remains a significant threat to regional stability and security through its remnants.
The Iraqi armed forces have accelerated their aerial and ground military campaigns against remnants of the extremist ISIS group across parts of the country, including the deserts of Anbar province, the remote regions of Nineveh province and parts of the disputed province of Kirkuk, killing their militants, destroying their hideouts and confiscating myriads of ammunitions in their possession.
Of 14 ISIS militants killed in a major operation against the extremist group in late August in Anbar province’s deserts, half of them were identified as the group’s top leaders following DNA tests, the Iraqi government said last week.
ISIS controlled large swathes of territory in parts of Iraq and Syria following their rise in 2014. The group was declared territorially defeated in 2019.
The group no longer controls any territory, but they are active in their hit-and-run operations, posing serious danger to security around the areas that they had once controlled.
“While Iraq's victories over terrorism continue, the heroes of our security forces promise our people to [stand]… against anyone who dares to attempt to tamper with the security and stability of the homeland,” the security media cell satement concluded.
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